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Reform, Retreat and Reinvention: A History of Christianity

Module description

This module introduces you to the academic study of the history of Christian traditions. The module will be divided into five blocks, each focussing on a key period of Christian history. You will analyse and evaluate a variety of sources by key thinkers from each epoch (in English translation). You will learn how the story of Christianity has been told both by faith communities and by scholars. You will reflect critically on the way in which both kinds of narrative have changed across different regions and over time, developing an openness to new ideas and perspectives while drawing evidence-based and independent conclusions. You will also engage with material culture (archaeology and visual arts). 

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module runs over 11 weeks with two classes per week. There are 5 main blocks in the module. In each block you will be introduced to selective developments in the west (western Europe and North America), in Eastern Christian traditions, in indigenous Christian traditions and/or to encounters between Christians and those of other religious traditions. You will develop core academic and transferrable skills such as critical thinking, cultural intelligence, textual analysis, insightful questioning, research skills, referencing and attribution of sources. 

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate understanding of selected areas of Christian history and how faith communities and historians have narrated the Christian past.
• 2. Show how various Christian traditions relate to cultural and historical context.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Navigate different perspectives, debates and disputes regarding key beliefs, linking ideas from different sources to build and appraise arguments.
• 4. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of selected historical narratives (developing historiographic skills).

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Use your study skills, with guidance, to produce independent written work, working independently and managing your time and tasks.
• 6. Formulate clearly researched and coherently expressed positions in the assessment of arguments.

Syllabus plan

The module content may vary from year to year but is likely to cover topics such as:

• The era of two Romes (3rd - 8th centuries): the ‘fall’ of Rome; Byzantium; populous and diverse forms of Christianity outside the Empire.
• Rebirth? (9th – 15^th centuries): Franks, Holy Roman Empire and Papal power; theology and the schools; tensions between east and west (Byzantium, Great Schism and the Crusades); Christianisation of the Slavs. Islam and Christianity (Persia/Iran, Africa, Iberian peninsula).
• C. Reform? (15th - 16^th centuries): Humanism, the Renaissance, Protestant and Catholic Reformations; development of eastern Orthodoxy. Christians and imperial expansion (Americas).
• D. Retreat or Revival? (17th - 18^th centuries): European Enlightenment, Christian theology and political upheaval. Orthodoxy and Enlightenment. Jesuit mission (Ethiopia; China and Japan).
• E. Reinvention? (19^th century): Christianity and universities (Germany and UK); Anglicanism as an example of reinvention of Christian traditions (Evangelicalism; Oxford movement); mission and imperial expansion/colonialism (sub-Saharan Africa); working with indigenous-led Christian churches (Church of South India; Maori churches).

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

tbc

Key words search

Christianity, history, empire, Reformation, Renaissance, Enlightenment, colonialism, indigenous religion, Islam.